Ariadne K.
DeSimone, MD, MPH
Resident in
Radiology at BWH
PGY-3
March 20, 2019
While I spend my work day at Brigham and
Women’s Hospital learning and practicing radiology, which is in and of itself
extremely fulfilling, my interests extend beyond the practice of clinical
radiology and include health policy and management, value-based healthcare
delivery, and public health. I explored these interests in medical
school, including by pursuing a joint MD/MPH in Health Policy and Management,
and have been fortunate to be able to continue to learn about and apply these
topics while in residency by attending various Centers of Expertise dinner
sessions, participating in the Value-Based Health Care Delivery course, and,
most recently, spending a full Saturday in early February at Harvard Business
School at the 16th Annual Healthcare Conference.
The theme
of the conference was “Back to the Future of Healthcare” and it featured a
series of keynote speakers and panel discussions. We heard from Steve Nelson,
CEO of UnitedHealthcare, about how the state of health care today is a “wicked
problem,” yet how he has a vision for how technology can enable Americans to
make gains in terms of health and wellness. I attended a panel discussion about
“Reforming Healthcare Delivery.” Some of the points raised related to how
health care and healthcare delivery is local and how it is important to deliver
health care from diverse sites, including in the home. Next was a panel discussion about “Consumer
Health and Wellness – Using Data and Technology to Drive New Solutions.”
Consumers are frustrated with the healthcare system because of price,
convenience, and access. We listened to Kate Walsh, President and CEO of Boston
Medical Center, articulate her steadfast belief that achieving health equity is
fundamental to addressing health care costs and that healthcare organizations
should tackle gaps and structural barriers. A panel discussion on “Digital
Health: Bubble or Worthwhile Investment” concluded that digital health is a
worthwhile investment (not a “bubble”), especially healthcare IT solutions and
platforms. “Adopting Disruptive Technologies in Healthcare: The Next Horizon”
panel discussion touched on how important it is to include physicians from the
beginning on teams focused on innovation and digital health solutions. The
conference concluded with closing remarks by Martin Madaus, Chairman and CEO of
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. He outlined what he sees as potential changes to
come in health management: from a physician-controlled paternalistic approach
to self-monitoring and self-directed with assistance from expert coaching; from
reactive disease management to proactive health management; from lab
information only available to experts to consumers fully empowered with their
lab data; from standard lab testing to AI-enabled digital physiology; and from
one-size-fits-all to individualized precision medicine with deepening
understanding of an individual’s risks to health.
At the end
of the daylong conference, I was inspired by how many people want to work
together to improve the value of health care in this country. Attending the conference further confirmed my
hopes of serving in a leadership position within an academic healthcare system in
the future or in a consultant role to various healthcare organizations and
systems. I would recommend this conference to anyone interested in learning
from experts in the business of health care.
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